The Reason
by Halley2011
Summary: "Do you seriously think we can just go back and pick up where we left off?" she asked shakily as Lavi's hand cradled her cheek, wavering her angry resolve with a tenderness that brought back memories. "No." he answered. LavixOC Enjoy!
1. Annabel Lee

**Disclaimer: I do not own D. Grey-man characters. **

"SURPRISE!" Everyone shouted as the new face walked into the cafeteria. The girl smiled a wide grin as she looked around at her new family. These were the people she was going to be living with. "WELCOME TO THE BLACK ORDER!" She couldn't help but laugh at the diversity of faces surrounding her. There was a white haired boy with a dark pentacle scar over his eye. Another girl was beside him with short black hair and a wide smile on her face. There was also a long dark haired male looking as if he would rather throw himself off of a cliff than be there at that moment.

Later that night, after she had been introduced to everyone from the white haired boy who she now knew was called Allen to the director named Komui who apparently had a sister complex much to the dismay of his younger sister, Lenalee. She sat with the dark haired girl and laughed at something Allen said when her eyes caught a flash of bright red hair. She shook the thought off and went back to her new friends.

Another flash of bright green caught the girl's eye. She froze where she was when she heard her childhood nickname come from behind her.

"Hey Buncha." She spun around to find herself with her face inches away from one bright green eye and a mess of red hair in a bandana. Tears filled her pale grey eyes with the impact of her hand against his face echoing through the now silent hall. She turned on her heel and ran as fast as she could out of the room, covering her face with her hands.

"MIA!" Lenalee shouted after her. She then turned to Lavi and slapped him on the opposite cheek, sending him a few feet back.

"I deserved that one too." Lavi rubbed his face which was quickly turning red.

"You made her cry." Lenalee stood shocked with Allen. "We were just getting to know her. What did you do to her?"

Lavi sighed. They'd hate him just as much as she did if they knew. But he knew that if he kept quiet, they wouldn't stop bugging him so he decided to go with a shortened version.

"A few years ago we went out and I had to leave at a minute's notice. I wasn't able to say goodbye." He said. "I hadn't seen her since. Obviously she's still mad at me."

Allen shook his head.

"Do you still love her?" Lavi nodded.

"I haven't stopped thinking about her since that day." He looked at the spot where the girl had disappeared. "But as you can see, she hates me now. There's nothing I can do. I wish I could though."

"Then go tell her." Allen advised, giving Lavi a gentle push. Lavi turned and looked at the white haired boy as he kissed Lenalee's cheek, snaking his arm around her waist after making sure Komui was out of the room. Lenalee blushed.

_What I wouldn't give to be like that again with her. _Lavi thought. He took a deep breath, gave Allen and Lenalee a wish-me-luck glance before walking out the door towards the snow covered grounds. The fresh snow that was falling around him was slowly covering newly made shoeprints. He followed the markings quickly and quietly.

When the prints finally stopped, Lavi had to laugh to himself. Mia was on a thick branch halfway up the tree. She had always found her solace by climbing up trees. She had once shared her favorite spot with him. The branch overlooked half of the valley they lived in. You could see where the ocean met the land and the land rose into its mountainous form. The only thing that you couldn't see was people. That was the way she liked it. Her purpose for climbing the trees was to get away from the world, not examine it.

"Extend." Lavi whispered causing his hammer to lift him into the tree behind the girl.

"I was a child, and she was a child / In this kingdom by the sea / but we loved with a love that was more than love / I and my Annebel Lee," Lavi quoted. It had been Mia's favorite poem. That stanza had been their own. Or so they claimed.

"What do you want?" Mia turned even further away from the red head, wiping the tears from her frozen cheeks.

"Another chance." He stated simply, moving to sit beside her. She moved closer to lean further into the trunk of the tree. Lavi sat, facing the opposite direction, yet not taking his eye off of her.

"At what?" she glared at him through pale swollen eyes.

"At being with you."

"You've already had your chance. You blew it." She argued, turning away to keep him from seeing the tears in her eyes. "The least you could have done was write me to tell me what was going on."

"I'm sorry Mia. I couldn't. The old panda," Lavi's eyes darted to the side as if checking to see that Bookman wasn't within ear reach to hear the nickname. "wouldn't let me. We were moving around so much, I didn't have a chance. I'm sorry."

"Then why didn't you at least say goodbye?" She still avoided his eyes.

"I couldn't. We left so fast I didn't have the chance. You know I would have." He reached over and pulled her face to have her eyes meet his. She tired to avoid his eye but the emerald captured her thoughts, hypnotizing her. "So what do you say? Give me another chance?"

"Lavi," she pulled his hand away from her, still keeping eye contact. "I'm not just going to pretend that nothing happened. I spent years seeing you in everything. You took me heart with you when you left. I stopped living. I can't get that time back. I came here thinking that I'd be able to get away from my thoughts of you but all I did was run into you."

"I know you can't. But I'm not going anywhere this time. I've changed. Now we don't have to be apart from each other." Lavi was nearly begging.

"Do you seriously think that I'm just going to forgive you and we go back to the way things used to be?" she asked. Lavi's hand had returned to cradling her cheek, wavering her angry resolve with the tenderness of his touch. Memories of their past flooded her mind.

"No." Lavi answered. Mia sat, stunned. She had half expected him to say 'yes'. "I can only hope that you'll forgive me and give me another chance to show you that I'm not the same Lavi I was back then." Mia shook. She wasn't sure if it was because of the chill from the snow that surrounded them both or from the feel of Lavi's sweet breath warming her face as he spoke.

"I can't." Her voice was shaky. "I don't… know if… I… I… can tru… trust… you again." She stuttered, her breaths becoming short the closer Lavi's lips came to hers. When the soft familiar feel reached her lips, it not only warmed her lips but her entire being. She gave in, placing her hand gently on his chest, reminding him of her previous boundaries. He had promised her that they would never go any further than a kiss. Lavi broke the kiss after a moment.

"I and my Annebel Lee." He quoted again, not taking his forehead away from hers. He caressed the side of her neck, swiping extra pieces of hair out of the way. Moving their chins parallel again, the warmth of each other filled them yet again.

**Hey guys! Hope you enjoyed it! I'm not sure whether to leave this a one-shot or to turn it into a chapter story. Let me know what you think. I really need help here! Thanks!**


	2. First Night and Day

**Disclaimer: I do not own any D. Gray-man characters. Mia is the only character that belongs to me. Thanks.**

When the two finally had to break for air, they kept their foreheads together for an immeasurable amount of time. It must have been quite a while because when Lavi finally looked at Mia, her eyes were still closed and her head was drooping onto his shoulder, asleep. Lavi chuckled to himself as he moved her into his arms and they rode his hammer back down to the ground. The weapon shrunk to its original size as Lavi adjusted Mia in his arms to hold her as close to himself as he could and walked back into headquarters, not taking his eyes off of her flushed face.

When he finally looked up, he realized he had reached her bedroom all to quickly. She hardly stirred when he placed her on the bed and removed her shoes and wrapped the thick blanket around her. He turned around to walk out of the room when he was stopped by a weak tug on his coat. He turned back to find Mia's eyes partially opened and her hand clinging to him.

"Please stay." She whispered. "Don't leave me again." Lavi smiled innocently and nodded. He removed the bandana from his head and tried to hide his smile when Mia blushed as he took off his jacket revealing the tight black undershirt. He took off his boots and lay down next to her. She blushed even deeper when he smirked at her. He reached over and brushed a few loose strands of hair off of her cheek.

Lavi shivered when Mia buried her face into his neck. He hadn't realized how cold she had been. This only caused him to pull her tighter to himself.

The next morning, Lenalee walked into the room to wake Mia up for her first day of official training. She smiled her usual smile when she saw the two of them. Lavi was on his back with one arm wrapped around Mia who was on her side, her head resting on Lavi's shoulder and her forehead to his chin. Her arm was draped across his chest, her hand gripping the opposite sleeve of his tank top. They looked so peaceful she almost didn't want to disturb them. Instead, she returned a few minutes later with a tray of enough breakfast for the two of them. She left it on Mia's desk and closed the door behind her.

Lavi woke up soon after to a sharp shill running down his spine. He looked over to find the cause and felt another tender kiss being laid upon his neck. He smiled and tightened his arm around her.

"Good morning." He said, clearing his throat. Mia blushed again. She'd been caught.

"Good morning." She smiled and sat up, looking down at the red head. He grinned back at her.

"So, can I take last night as a 'yes'?" he asked. Mia looked slightly confused for a moment before she remember what he had asked her and what had happened. The red of her blush not only deepened in her face but went down her neck. Lavi could almost swear he saw steam coming out of her ears from embarrassment. He laughed and ran his fingers through her now untamed black hair.

"How are you so strong?" She asked, wanting to put attention on him instead of her embarrassment. He looked at her strangely.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Well, the last time I saw you, you weren't this strong. How did you end up with muscle?" She put her hand on his arm to feel the muscle. Shocked covered her face. Lavi really had gotten muscular. Her heart sped up even faster than it had earlier. She quickly wiped the expression off of her face before he could see it.

"Oh, wait, that's just flab. Never mind." She smirked. It took Lavi a second to realize that she had just insulted him.

"Why you little…" he started, reaching over and poking her in her only ticklish spot. She fell back onto the mattress and started laughing as he continued tickling her. Only when she started to turn blue from lack of oxygen did he stop and kiss her forehead.

"When was the last time I laughed like that? You are the only person who has ever known that I'm ticklish." Mia breathed. Lavi brushed her hair out of her face and kissed her lightly.

"I'll take that as a yes." He placed a short, sweet, passionate kiss on her lips and stood up, putting his jacket and boots back on. "Come on. We've got to get you to your training." Mia sighed and sat up again. It was only at that point that she realized that Lavi had been gentleman enough to not undress her other than her shoes. She silently thanked him.

They ate the breakfast that was on the desk and walked out of the room towards the training stations. Once they reached the main door, Lavi pulled Mia into his arms.

"I'll be in the library for the rest of the day if you want to join me when you're finished." He smiled and placed his lips on hers. His lips tried to pry hers open in an attempt to deepen the kiss. As a result, she pulled back.

"Not here Lavi." She whispered. "People will see. And I'm still new here. I don't want people thinking I'm some kind of player."

"Oh come on. They already know you're not. Lenalee and Allen have probably already told them. Besides, people saw us walk out of your room this morning didn't they?" Lavi smirked. A pout covered Mia's face. He gave her a peck on the lips and released her as he turned to walk away.

"I'll be in the library." He said as he walked off. Mia rolled her eyes, her fingers moving to her lips where the heat of his kiss still burned through her skin.

"So how do you and Lavi know each other?" Marie asked as Mia sat down to take a break from her training.

"We grew up together. Our families have worked together for centuries. The women of my clan have married into the Bookman clan for as long as our history goes back." Mia explained.

"So you two are cousins?" the man asked. Mia shook her head.

"No. He's my husband, for lack of a better word. When a Bookman apprentice turns 16 he's assigned a helper of the opposite gender from my clan. There's a huge ceremony and basically the two are married." She explained.

"So it's a soul bonding." Marie tried to help the girl classify the relationship. Mia nodded, not realizing that the man couldn't see her.

"In a way, yeah. It's a bonding that's stronger than a marriage. The ceremony is when they both turn 16 and at 17 is when they can seal the bond. Lavi left just after the ceremony. We didn't even get two days to spend together. That's why I slapped him when I saw him yesterday."

"I'm sorry to pry. I was just wondering." Marie sensed the girl's discomfort.

"It's okay. We had a talk about it and we've decided to see what we can do to start over." Mia sighed. "Okay, let's get back to work." She added, standing up and grabbing her bow. She took two steps forward and pulled the string back to the corner of her mouth. Releasing the arrow, it flew the entire distance and hit the target dead center. There was no way she was going to allow herself to be sealed into a bond that she wasn't even sure was going to last. Lavi would have to prove himself first.

**Hey guys! Sorry this chapter is so corny... I know it's cliche to but just bear with me on this. Thanks. Reviews are greatly appreciated and it takes little to no time to write them. Thanks again! :)**


	3. Library Time

**Disclaimer: I do not own any D. Gray-man characters. **

**A/N: Thanks to my two first reviewers: BravoMonAmi and The-Door-On-The-Leftt. You guys are awesome for reviewing my story. It is greatly appreciated! :) And thanks to those who favorited this story and the many author/story alerts that I've received for this. Love you all! :)**

Hours later, Mia walked out of the training grounds and into the library. It didn't take her long to find the face she was looking for. Lavi was stretched out on a small sofa, his head on one arm rest while his legs hung off of the other, asleep with a book of poems lying on his chest. As Mia got closer, she could see the steady rise and fall the title of the book (Annabel Lee and Other Poems by Edgar Allen Poe) made as he breathed. When she reached the couch, she knelt behind it, resting her head and her arms on the back, watching his sleeping face. He apparently had been asleep for a while. His hair was ruffled and his bandana was askew. She smiled at the sight.

His hair was soft under her palm as she ran her hand under the bandana to remove it. The loose hair fell into his face, almost covering the black eye patch. Now that she thought about it, Mia had never seen what Lavi really looked like under the eye guard. She had always associated the black cloth to his emerald eye. It was almost as if there were nothing under it.

Without thinking, she curled the tips of her fingers under the patch. Just as she was about to pull it off, Lavi's other eye shot open. Before she knew it, he had a death hold on her as he flipped her over the back of the couch. When he realized who it was she stopped in his tracks.

"Mia. Oh no. I'm so sorry. I thought you were someone else. Are you okay?" Lavi climbed off of her as she caught her breath from being startled.

"I'm fine. What was that about?" she asked, her hand moving to her heart in an attempt to slow it down.

"I'm sorry. I don't let anyone see under this thing." He explained, rubbing the back of his neck, ashamed.

"I can tell." Mia stated plainly. "I'm shocked you wouldn't let even me see it." Lavi smiled at her comment.

"One day. Just not this one." He tapped her under her chin and pulled her to a nearby table. "Come on. We've got to start training you on history."

"What? Why?" Mia asked as Lavi gently pushed her into her chair.

"Well, if you're going to be Mrs. Assistant Bookman/Woman Person…" Lavi struggled with finding an appropriate name but eventually gave up. "we need to show you how this whole thing works." He sat beside her and opened one of the larger books that was on the desk.

"I've already gone through this one to make sure everything lined up with what we saw. But there's one thing that's missing. I'm going to see if you can find it."

Mia and Lavi continued this pattern of teacher/student learning until the sun started to sink below the horizon. Mia laughed when she heard a deep growl echo through the empty aisles in the library.

"Sounds like someone's hungry." Mia chuckled at Lavi's blush. He wrapped his arms around his torso to muffle the sound that followed in agreement. "Come on."

They got up and walked hand-in-hand to the cafeteria where they ordered their dinner and sat down with Lenalee and Allen to eat.

"Lenalee and I have an assignment tomorrow. We're leaving for Spain according to Komui." Allen explained.

"What's going on in Spain?" Mia asked, curious as to exactly what kind of assignment exorcists were given.

"There's something with a village that has plenty of water but every time they try to drink it, it disappears. We think it has something to do with innocence that's gotten into the water supply somehow." Lenalee continued.

"We'll be back sometime next week if all goes well." Allen and Lenalee nodded at each other.

"Wow. You two finally get alone time. Strike!" Lavi smirked. Both Lenalee and Allen blushed deep red.

"Lavi!" Mia reprimanded the young man beside her. "That was totally inappropriate." The entire group laughed as Komui's head popped up over the crowd in the cafeteria at the word 'strike'. Apparently he had a feeling it had something to do with his younger sister. Lenalee shook her head in embarrassment at both her brother and at Lavi's statement.

When their laughter finally quieted down, they finished their dinners in peace and went their separate ways. Lenalee and Allen to the rooms to pack for the next day and Lavi and Mia back to the library.

They each grabbed their own book to read just for fun and sat on the small couch they had been on earlier that day. Mia sat with her legs curled in front of her leaning her back against Lavi's side. His arm wrapped around her torso and held his book. They read in silence for hours only moving to get up and pick another book off of the shelves.

This was their schedule for the next several weeks. Mia would meet Lavi in the library after her training; he would teach her until dinner time then they would sit and read together. It was the same this night when both Lavi and Mia could feel their eyelids becoming heavier and heavier. Finally, they agreed to make their way to the rooms. When they reached Mia's door, Lavi stopped.

"Well, I guess I'll see you at breakfast." He pulled her towards him and kissed her cheek. "Goodnight."

"Wait." Mia reached over and caught him before he could walk away. "Would you stay with me tonight? I'm still not used to this place yet and I'm a little scared to be by myself." Lavi smiled and nodded.

"Alright. I'll be right back. I'm going to go put on my pajamas."Mia nodded and backed into her room without another word.

Lavi made his way to his room and put on his pajamas and brushed his teeth. When he finally walked back into Mia's room he found her in her bed, her back to him. He realized that the entire front of her body was against the wall. He remembered that that was the way she had always slept. She had always needed something firm against her in order to feel secure. She had the blanket up to her chin but her shoulder was out in the open. The strap of her camisole had fallen and revealing what little bit of skin it had covered.

Mia stirred when Lavi sat on the edge of the mattress, sliding out of his slippers. Looking over her shoulder, she saw him turn back around and lay on top of the covers.

"You're going to freeze tonight." She said.

"I'll be fine." He said, trying to be a gentleman. But in reality, the cold room was already starting to make him shiver. He tried his best to hide it.

"No you won't. I know you." Mia loosened the covers from around her and flipped it back so Lavi could slide in. "Please. I don't want you to freeze."

Lavi rolled his eyes, trying to hide his happiness and gratitude for the invite to join her under her blankets. He pulled the blanket around him, thankful for its warmth. It wasn't long before he felt the mattress begin to tremble under him. Mia was shaking from the cold. Lavi remembered that even though she enjoyed cold weather, she didn't enjoy being cold. Somewhat hesitantly, he wrapped his arm around Mia's waist and pulled her towards him away from the wall she was against.

"You'll freeze if you stay against the wall like that." He prayed that she didn't hear his heart pounding the way that it was. He had no clue why he was reacting the way that he was at that moment. They had been closer when they kissed than they were now but this simple gesture sent his emotions and his blood pressure into a tizzy. For innocence's sake, the only parts of them that were touching were her waist and Lavi's forearm. Perhaps it was the fact that there was a mattress underneath them. No, that couldn't be it. They had been like this the previous night but he hadn't had such a reaction to it. Maybe it was because they had a blanket over them. Wait, that couldn't be it either. They had stayed under a blanket together plenty of times. Maybe it was the combination of the two elements and the fact that Lavi had never seen Mia in such a thin camisole. Possibly. But all Lavi knew was that he couldn't have thought straight at that moment if it had saved his life.

Lavi moved his hand from Mia's waist and pulled the strap of her shirt back up onto her shoulder then lightly ran his hand down her arm. He noticed she had become stronger over the years. Goosebumps slowly raised on her arm where his hand had been. He chuckled slightly at the realization and kissed her shoulder. He felt her nestle back into his chest until he was able to fully wrap his arm around her and hold her close. He shivered slightly as Mia's interlocked her cold feet between his ankles. He breathed in the smell of her as he nuzzled his face into her hair and neck.

The next morning, Lavi felt Mia turn over in his arms. He peaked through his eye lashes as she buried her face into his shoulder before slowly waking up. When she pulled back, she blushed at his grin. Lavi ran his fingers through the hair around her cheek and placed his lips gently on hers. Slowly their kiss grew deeper and deeper.

Both of their hearts leaped out of their chests as they jumped away from each other when Lenalee and Allen barged into the room. They saw the blushing couple and giggled.

"Sorry." Lenalee apologized with Allen. "But Komui wants you two." The other couple smiled and backed out of the door.

**Once again, thanks to the readers and reviewers! Please keep letting me know what you think about this. I'm not sure exactly to what extent I'm going to take their relationship so if I could get some feedback on that, it would be awesome! Thanks loads!**


	4. Verona, Day 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own any D. Gray-man characters. They all go to their respective owners.**

**A/N: Once again, thank you guys so much for showing such an interest in this story. It's more popular than I thought it was going to turn out. You really make my day when I see that people have reviewed/favorited my stories! Thank you sooo much!**

"You've been here for nearly a month Mia." Komui started. "So I think you're ready for your first assignment. Lavi, you will accompany her and show her the ropes of what needs to be down and how we do things in the Black Order." Lavi and Mia nodded their understanding.

"Here are your briefings. Please review them when you get onto the train. You'll be leaving for Italy this afternoon so make sure you pack appropriately.

"There's been an issue with some villagers in one of the towns. They are showing signs of having been affected by akuma. The details are in your briefings." He handed them the folders with the necessary papers. "I'll see you two at the main gate in two hours."

"Yes sir." Mia said as she and Lavi walked out of the room and back towards their own. Lavi had all but moved into Mia's room. He kept his basic necessities with her but still changed in his own room.

When he was finished packing his own suitcase, he met Mia in the hallway as she drug her suitcase out of her room and shut the door.

"Are you ready to go?" he asked.

"Yep. Let's get something to eat and tell everyone bye." She answered. They ate their dinner for that night and told everyone goodbye. Before they knew it, they were on a train heading for Italy. They claimed their own car and sat down across from one another after throwing their luggage on the racks above them.

The briefings were short and to the point about their assignment. Mia looked excited as she closed the folder and put it back in her bag.

"Mia, can I ask you something?" Lavi asked, hesitantly. He rubbed the back of his neck, his one green eye shining somewhat mischievously.

"You just did but yes, you can." Mia chuckled as Lavi rolled his eyes.

"Would you want to stay a couple extra days in Italy? It's a beautiful place and I'd like to show you around and let you get the full experience of traveling." He blushed, somewhat embarrassed that he'd asked such a question. They were on an assignment. There wasn't any time for them to have fun. They needed to get the innocence and make their way back to headquarters. But there was still that small voice in Lavi's head that kept getting louder and louder telling him that two extra days wouldn't hurt anybody. It might also give them a chance to make their soul bond grow stronger or maybe even seal it. A slight pink tint came to his cheeks at the thought. He quickly pushed the blush away before Mia could see it.

"That sounds like it would be fun. I've always wanted to sightsee anyways. I've just never had the chance." Mia smiled, not noticing the blush filling Lavi's cheeks yet again. She stretched her arms and yawned.

"You go on to sleep, Mia. It's been a long day. You're going to need your strength for tomorrow. As soon as we get off the train we're getting to work on finding the innocence." Lavi kissed Mia's forehead as she lay down on the cushion of the seat. He pulled the blanket up to her shoulders as she rested her head on his lap. He ran his fingers through her hair and over her shoulder and back until she fell asleep. Soon, he found that he couldn't keep his own eyes open.

Lavi woke up the next morning to find himself flat on the seat. The blanket he had pulled over Mia was now pulled over him and Mia was no where to be found. Lavi blinked rapidly, waking himself up and stretching. Just as he was running his hands through his hair in an attempt to tame the messy fire of red, Mia walked back into the car holding two steaming cups.

"Good morning." She smiled at his sleep flushed face and handed him one of the mugs. "Did you sleep well?" she asked. Lavi nodded.

"Yes. And you?"

"Very well, thank you." They laughed at their joking politeness towards each other.

"How long have you been up?" Lavi asked, sipping his coffee. The warm liquid felt good as it trailed down his throat and into his stomach. Mia had prepared it exactly the way he liked it.

"About thirty minutes. Not long at all." She stirred the tea bags in her cup around by their strings. "We're about two hours away from Verona so I took the liberty of getting our things together." She nodded towards the now absent pile of books they had read the previous night and their luggage which was now stacked neatly by the door, awaiting the arrival in Verona.

They remained in a comfortable silence for the next two hours either reading the very few books that Mia had kept out of the suitcases, or staring out the window or at each other. Finally, the whistle blew, signaling their arrival in the small village. They made their way off of the carriage and onto the platform, all the while Lavi's protective gesture of keeping his hand on the small of Mia's back never faltering.

"Okay, let's go put our things where we're staying and check in so we don't have to worry about that later." They made their way to an inn nearby to the spot they were investigating. For the rest of the day, they wandered around the village focusing on finding what they were looking for. They decided to stop in a small café to have an early dinner together before they continued their searching.

"So what do we do next? We haven't found anything so far." Mia asked, stirring her coffee absentmindedly. Lavi shrugged.

"I'm at a loss. If we don't find something soon-"

"What can I get for you two?" The waitress cut Lavi off midsentence.

"We're going to split bruschetta pasta." Lavi answered, looking the woman in the eye then turning back to Mia.

"And could we get some more coffee please?" Mia added with a polite smile.

"Sure thing." The woman turned and walked away with their orders.

"Anyways, what I was saying-" Lavi was interrupted again, this time not by the waitress wanting to take their food orders but by screams echoing from the street. Both Lavi and Mia jumped up and ran out of the café to find themselves face to face with four Level 1 and one Level 2 akuma.

Mia released an arrow from her bow, piercing the akuma in the center of its body. Before it could react, the glowing rope wrapped itself around Mia's wrist as she pulled the arrow from the metal form, throwing the injured akuma into another Level 1. On impact, the two exploded. At the same time, she heard Lavi's shouts from behind her and felt the heat of his fire stamp. Mia saw the Level 2 disintegrate out of the corner of her eye. Two Level 1 and the Level 2 down; two Level 1 left to go.

"Grow, Grow, GROW!" Lavi shouted as the broad side of the hammer made impact with the fourth akuma. Mia had to dodge the beams that were firing from the cannons on the final akuma's body but she was able to make her arrow attach to the akuma's body. The rope that extended from the arrow glowed brighter as an innocence mass shot from her hand, through the rope, and into the akuma, sending it into dust. The glittering leftovers sparkled as they blew through the wind, scattering over the now deserted streets.

Lavi and Mia looked at each other, fairly out of breath. They smiled and eventually fell into laughter from the rush of the attack. Suddenly, the sky began to pour rain. The two ran back two blocks to the inn they were staying at and caught their breath.

"You did good." Lavi smiled once they were outside their room. "For a first timer." His lopsided grin turned into a smirk at his own two sided compliment. Mia playfully tapped his arm, acting as if she were insulted. She turned her back and crossed her arms in a huff.

"I wasn't that bad, thank you very much." Lavi didn't have to see her to know that she was pouting. He could tell just by the tone of her voice. The chimes he believed her voice mixed with the falling rain surrounding them.

"Of course not." Lavi walked up behind the pseudo-angry woman and wrapped his arms around her waist. "In fact, you were brilliant." He kissed her now reddening cheek.

"Really?" she asked, sincerely curious, watching him out of the corner of her eye.

"Oh definitely." Mia could hear the smirk in his voice. She turned to face him but when she did he shook his head swiftly, sending all of the water he had in his hair onto her.

"Why you little…" she threatened, looking down at her already soaked uniform. She stepped towards him but he dodged her and ended up back in the rain in the process. Clumsily, Mia followed him, determined that she was going to get him back. Laughing, she slipped on a mud spot, pulling Lavi to the ground with her. They rolled a few feet away from the impact, laughing their hardest the entire time. When their movement stopped, Lavi was leaning over Mia. After a moment, their laughter died down. They were too tired to move at that moment.

Suddenly, Mia's face turned serious. She brushed Lavi's wet hair out of his face; he did the same for her not taking their eyes off of each other. Mia kept her hand on Lavi's cheek with her fingertips on the edge of his eye patch.

"May I?" she asked. Lavi sighed, knowing what she meant. He hesitated but nodded. Slowly, Mia pulled the black guard away from Lavi's face. A light gasp filled her lungs when she saw what was under it. The once astonishing emerald green eye now looked like murky glass. The darkened skin around his blinded eye held an even darker scar. But still there was a beauty to his weakness that made Mia tear up. She forced the threatening lump back down her throat. Lavi tried to avoid her face and placed his forehead on her shoulder, trembling.

"It's beautiful." She whispered. It was the truth. She couldn't quite put her finger on what was so beautiful about his scar but there was something there. She pulled his head back up from her shoulder and placed her lips gently on the source of Lavi's current shame. Lavi looked back at her, confused.

"How?" he asked.

"Lavi, we all have our own scars. Whether they be emotional," she placed her hand on her heart at the memory of being hurt, "or physical," she traced the scar with the side of her thumb, "we've all got them. Yours just happens to be proof that you care about someone; that you cared about me."

Her memory of when Lavi got the scar stilled haunted her in her nightmares. The first time she saw an akuma, Bookman saving the both of them but not before Lavi had been severely hurt trying to protect Mia. That injury had caused the blindness in his eye for the rest of his life. Mia still blamed herself no matter how much Lavi tried to convince her otherwise through the years.

Mia closed her eyes as Lavi's lips slowly claimed hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck as they sat up. They broke the kiss in order to stand up properly but once they were on their feet, Lavi grabbed both of Mia's hands in his and kiss her again without a word. He didn't have to speak; his kiss said it all. Every thank you, every caring gesture, every tender moment, every 'I love you' was wrapped up into that one short sweet kiss.

Lavi released one of Mia's hands and led her back to the door with the other. They never took their eyes off of one another for fear that the other might disappear. Still dripping wet, they walked into the room, Lavi's lips claiming hers in an urgent embrace once more as he closed the door behind them.

**Okay, so I tried to put a little something different in this part than other people so... hope you enjoyed it. Please let me know what you think. I absolutely LOVE reviews! Thanks loads!**


	5. A Call Home

**Disclaimer: I do not own any D. Gray-man characters. The only ones that belong to me are the ones that you don't recognize.**

The sunlight trickled in through the closed blinds, dotting Lavi's face. Slowly, his senses began to return to him. First the smell of the freshly cleaned room and the wood furniture then the taste of a slight sweaty saltiness followed by the sound of a couple of birds outside the window singing to one another reached him. Soon he was able to zero in on the different aspects surrounding him. The sound of the birds was mixing with the faint muffled voices of the people walking along the opposite street and the sound of his own breathing. There was something else though.

Finally, his sense of touch returned to him. The feel of soft skin against his was comforting. He tightened his arms around the source of the warmth he felt and opened his eyes. Mia lay thoroughly unconscious against his side, her head resting on his chest. The sheet was wrapped around her so tightly, he wasn't sure what was her skin and what was the sheet. He tried not to laugh at the thought. After kissing her on her forehead, he gently pulled his arm from around her so as not to wake her and slipped out from under the blankets. He threw on a pair of pants and walked into the kitchen section of the room.

When he walked back a few minutes later, two cups of steaming coffee in his hands, he saw Mia's eyes open. There was a sharp intake of breath as she stretched. He watched as she rubbed her face with her hands then froze. She shook her head rapidly as if trying to get rid of a thought. He tried not to chuckle when her ears turned a bright pink.

"Good morning." Lavi said as he approached the girl who stiffened at the sound of his voice, turning an even brighter red. She buried her face into the sheets wrapped around her knees. Lavi walked around and placed the coffee cup on the table next to her and laid back down in his spot, sipping the steaming liquid. He reached over and ran his fingertips over her back and shoulders, taking care to trail them slowly over the sensitive patches. She shivered as he easily found each one. His cold hands felt good against her hot neck as he pulled her towards him to rest her head on his chest. They stayed in that position for an unknown amount of time. Mia was the one to break the silence.

"Do you think the bond will be sealed now?" she asked, not looking at him.

"I hope so. If it is, then I'll be there with you the whole way. I promise." Lavi answered, his fingers running through her hair. Mia snuggled closer into his chest and buried her face into his neck, kissing the sensitive spot where his shoulder met the column of his neck. She chuckled as she felt Lavi shiver slightly.

"Wonder what the old panda would say if he knew." Lavi wondered aloud.

"He's probably either kick you into Timbuktu or be perfectly fine with it." Mia answered, chuckling at her own contradiction. "You're grandfather loves you Lavi. He may not show it very well but he does." Lavi sniffed indignantly.

"Yeah, I know." He said. "I just wish he's let me figure things out for myself, ya know?" He looked down at Mia. She tilted her head to meet his eye.

"He will. Just give him the chance."

Lavi smiled in response as he pulled her face up to meet his and claimed her lips once again. The kiss quickly built up the passion it had the previous night. Lavi slowly moved Mia so that she was under him and moved to unbutton his steadily tightening jeans, getting hot under a non-existent collar. When they broke away for air, Lavi opened his eyes the slightest bit and a well trained eye caught a glimpse of the clock. He threw himself off of the bed, quickly zipping his trousers to the best of his ability and throwing Mia's clothes at her.

"Crap! We've got to go. It's nearly afternoon. We're supposed to be out looking for the Innocence."

They both dressed quickly and made their way out the door just as Lavi's golem fluttered out of his coat pocket signaling that someone was trying to get into contact with them. They found a nearby phone and plugged the device into the chord.

"Lavi here." He said into the mouth piece of the phone. Komui's voice echoed from the other end of the line.

"Lavi, this is Komui. You and Mia need to get back to headquarters as quickly as you can. Central is on their way here and needs every exorcist back from their assignments." Komui explained in somewhat of a strained voice. Lavi nodded.

"What about the assignment though? We can't just leave these people here with the akuma roaming around. We killed at least 5 yesterday."

"Central sent your replacements. They should be arriving shortly." Komui explained.

"Alright. We'll be there as quickly as we can." Lavi hung up the phone still thoroughly confused. "Well, let's go. We're needed back at headquarters." The golem flapped its wings then folded itself into the inner pocket of Lavi's jacket, getting comfortable for the ride.

**Hey Guys! Sorry this one was so short. I'm trying to get on with the story line and couldn't think of a better transition. I may come back and edit it if i figure something out but until then, this is what you're going to have to read. Thanks. Please, please, please review. I'm going to stop writing if I don't get more review soon. In my mind, lack of reviews means that people don't like the story. If people don't like the story then I'm wasting my time writing it. I don't like wasting my time so please if you want to keep reading then review... it doesn't take long at all... just press the little button below... now that wasn't so hard was it? :) **


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